The Warriors and Thunder OT game on Primetime Saturday night was in all parts, EPIC!!!! 

Russell Westbrook was in his dominating self (26 pts 7 Rebs and 13 assists), Kevin Durant went off (37 pts 12 reb and 5 assists), Serge Ibaka played on the boards (20) and put up buckets, Draymond Green had a blow up reportedly in the locker room by Lisa Salters during the telecast stuffed the stat sheet (14 Rebs, 14 assists, 6 steals and 4 blocks shooting 0-8)

Klay Thompson had 32 and clutch 3’s and lay ins, Steph Curry was just killing the Thunder going for 46 pts and 6 assists.

It was a back and forth contest. The Thunder controlled most of the game, including in the 4th quarter when the Warriors couldn’t buy a bucket. Steph Curry was on a hobbled wheel, and it was up to him to defer to teammates to do most of the work while he could handle what he could on the offensive end. 

Kevin Durant’s clutch 3 in the third after a kick out from Ibaka seemed to have sealed the deal for the Thunder. However, key stops and two quick 3’s from Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, respectively brought them back in it. 

It took a Kevin Durant throw away after a smart double team call by coach Kerr, to play the double team and steal first to force a bad pass instead of fouling, worked to perfection. Well kinda. It took a Draymond Green dive and throw in to swing it to Igoudala that was idioticly fouled on the play while shooting to put him on the lie to send his team into OT. The 61% fouls shooter had ice in his veins and dropped both FT’s….but Curry’s heart is cold as ice.

In the OT, KD fouled out which was the first time in 3 years (seriously?! It took 3 years for this dude to foul out?! I don’t care if he is a “superstar”, he and every other player foul all the time. It took 3 years to catch up to it? Call the damn fouls and show some parity into this league. He went out and the game got more interesting. History was made! Stop with the pandering for marketing purposes.), it left the game open for the Warriors to comeback. Klay Thompson hit Kyle Singler with a crazy backdoor for an and 1 lay up to tie the game at 118. Russell Westbrook took an ill advised ‘Westbrook Shot’ that the Warriors gathered. Kicked out to Curry and he dropped a 32 foot game winning single game record tying 3 sealing a win for the Warriors  to be the fastest team to clinch a playoff berth.

This game was crazy and there are some things to takeaway from it:

•  Curry broke and set his own record in one game with single season 3’s, continued his record for 3’s in consecutive games, tied the record for 3’s in a single game, and continues to shove it in the face of critics who say they need to rough him up. He got his ankle stepped on and played better. You can stop it now, thanks.
• “Draymond Green’s halftime blow up”= media sensationalism. Always trying to find narratives and angles for hits and views and stir the pot. Stop it, no one really cares. Not that serious. Came out with the win.
• KD and other superstars need to foul out so it doesn’t seem like there’s preferential treatment that prevalent and obvious in the NBA. It’s just a damn joke.
• Andre Roberson should be called the ‘The Invisible Man’. He is forgotten about on the court most of the time on offense as a non threat. When he catches the ball sometimes, he looks unsure and shocked he got it. Then all of a sudden he appears for a steal or a bucket. Then he disappears again. Best disappearing act ever.
• Serge Ibaka came to play. Kudos to you sir.
• Steven Adams has usurped Enes Kanter as the go to big man. Best pick and roll play by the Thunder in a long time and he is a perennial scrapper. Love his tenacity and hustle on the floor. Ruthless savagery.
• The Philadlephia 76ers are the most illogical franchise in the last 10 years. Your core player has won a finals MVP and is playing on Primetime television doing what he has been doing that you thought wasn’t enough for years. That’s why everyone’s laughing at you and he’s laughing his way back to the finals. 
• Russell Westbrook is a beast but needs to develop that jumper more to be he most dangerous two way player in the game. 
• Warriors are going to continue to create history, and break the Bulls’ record this year.
• The Thunder out rebounded the Warriors by 30 and still lost in OT. It’s not ideal to shoot so many threes and not gather boards but hey, the Suns did it and the Warriors won a title last year. It’s not perfect but it works if you execute and are efficient.

These teams play again on Thursday on TNT in Golden State at 10:30. It has become a new epic rivalry a la Bulls-Pistons, Celtics-Lakers (just for these teams and players to put things in perspective). Every game is going to be a classic and a thrill to watch. It’s a great time to be a fan of sports and the NBA at this time with the talent that’s being displayed by these teams. More epicness to be continued.

Cover photo courtesy of NBA.com